we had higher tax rates under clinton, and we created 40 million jobs and had a surplus. then the bush folks came in put the war on the credit card prescription drugs on the credit card, and lowered taxes at the high end, and we had only 700,000 jobs, and had astonishing deficits since then. >> stephanie: the same l.a. times piece even makes that case with the war in afghanistan winding down, the military is asking for less than congress wants to give. so i think there has been so much hysteria over this fiscal cliff that i'm not sure it's warranted. >> that's exactly right. and also the ryan budget you know, their doctrine -- and it really is doctrining. lower taxes for the wealthy, and that will trickle down. untrue. number 2 increase spending in the pentagon way beyond what the pentagon wants and that will make us three. and that cut back on things like education and scientific research and somehow we'll have a stronger future. none of those things make any sense. at the core of the ryan approach, and he is representative of the dominant republican point of view now, i